Laura Payne is a board member for Openlands and a seasoned investment professional with over two decades of experience in asset management, alternative and sustainable investments. Laura most recently led the public market investment program at Builders Vision, an impact investment platform based in Chicago. Previously, she focused on alternative investments, serving as a Director at Citadel LLC and a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. She began her professional career as an institutional investor at The University of Chicago Investment Office, and The Pritzker Group.
Laura received a master’s degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Marquette University. She holds certificates in Sustainable Investing and Climate Risk and Valuation from the CFA Institute. Laura serves as Chair of the Board for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which focuses on conservation and access to clean water in the Midwest. She is also an investment committee member for WHI Investments and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Laura spends her time between Chicago and the UK with her husband and two daughters.